7 CHARITIES TO DONATE TO THIS CHRISTMAS

During the time of year when everyone is talking about being happy and joyful, we cannot forget that Christmas can also be a very difficult time for some.

Donating to a reputable charity is a great way to make a difference, as it ensures that you are supporting causes in a way that is most needed. A lot of people donate their used goods at Christmas time, but it’s important to remember that this isn’t always effective, nor very helpful.

By donating money, you are helping charities with knowledge and experience, give exactly what is most needed at this time of year.

So to extend the holiday cheer, here are a few Christmas charities that you could donate to this festive season:

MAKE A WISH

Christmas is essentially about the children… Right? But imagine being young and extremely unwell during a time that is generally the most exciting.

Make a Wish focuses on giving sick children something positive to focus on, as well as helping them find the resilience they need to get through their illness. They work all year round, but during the time of year when kids around the world are usually the happiest, it’s very important that those fighting for their lives can have a bit of hope too.

So why not help power the wishes of kids fighting critical illness this festive season!

CAMP QUALITY

Camp Quality is an organisation providing innovative programs to strengthen the wellbeing of children ages 0-13 growing up with cancer. They help children and their families whilst in hospital, after their treatment, during their education and so much more. They even provide retreats, family experiences and fun camps to help give these kids the slice of happiness they entirely deserve.

During the holiday period, Camp Quality runs a campaign where you can buy these children a gift. Depending on how much you spend, you can buy a child a ticket to a puppet show, a night out of with family, a weekend away, a life coach… All the way up to a family cruise!

MEALS ON WHEELS

Meals on Wheels is a service that delivers daily meals to people in need. Deliveries occur to the elderly, people recovering from hospitalisation/major illness or surgery, people with disabilities, carers, or people requiring special assistance.

This organisation is run entirely on volunteers, and although the meals do cost a very small fee, your donations will go towards giving someone a meal who is financially disadvantaged.

Having a meal on Christmas day should be a necessity, along with every other day of the year… And Meals on Wheels helps make that happen!

SHARE THE DIGNITY

Share the Dignity does exactly what the name suggests… It restores dignity to homeless and at-risk women around Australia, by distributing sanitary items and paying for the funerals of those killed as a result of domestic violence.

During the last weeks of November and into early December, Share the Dignity collects handbags filled with sanitary items to distribute to women in need. There are drop off points at your local Bunnings Warehouse during that time… And as I’m sure my fellow Aussies will know, Bunnings Warehouse’s are everywhere!

Unfortunately, the “It’s in the bag” campaign has ended for 2018, but do keep it in mind for future Christmas’s. You can also make a donation on their site which will help to fund funerals and other necessities during the festive season… Every little bit counts!

LIFELINE

As I mentioned, Christmas isn’t a happy time for everyone. It’s said that over 28,000 Australians will contact Lifeline this holiday season for support through extremely difficult times.

When battling mental illness, family/relationship problems, isolation, or any struggles for that matter, Christmas can be a very lonely and challenging time. Your donation to Lifeline will ensure that this organisation can give hope and much-needed guidance to those that truly need it.

THE SMITH FAMILY

There are more than 1.1 million children and young people living in poverty in Australia.

The Smith Family Christmas campaign aims to help disadvantaged children feel included this holiday season. This charity works through learning support and mentoring programs to help children in need to fit in at school, keep up with their peers, and build aspirations for a better future for themselves.

They help children in a number of ways through literacy, financial, arts, learning for life and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.

They believe that every child deserves the right to an education. So not only will your donation be going towards that, but you can also buy specific charity gifts that will be delivered to these kids during ‘the most wonderful time of the year’.

ACT FOR KIDS

One child is neglected or abused every 11 minutes in Australia… Act for Kids is an organisation that provides free therapeutic support to those children who have been victims of abuse, they support the families and they also work tirelessly to prevent any further violence.

So instead of buying another unnecessary gift this Christmas, why not give one less present and donate that money to a child that is in need of a little joy!

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Although once off donations are always appreciated, long-term/regular giving is much more effective and helps these organisations run smoothly throughout the entire year.

So if you have the ability to give regular support to a local charity, that is extremely helpful!

About Kate Newman

Hi, I'm Kate! A young, Australian travel blogger aiming to spread kindness and compassion through writing and travel. In a world that's often filled with darkness, I'm simply here to spread a little light - So, thanks for stopping by! X